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Magnotto JC, Mancini A, Bird K, Montenegro L, Tütüncüler F, Pereira SA, Simas V, Garcia L, Roberts SA, Macedo D, Magnuson M, Gagliardi P, Mauras N, Witchel SF, Carroll RS, Latronico AC, Kaiser UB, Abreu AP. Novel MKRN3 Missense Mutations Associated With Central Precocious Puberty Reveal Distinct Effects on Ubiquitination. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:1646-1656. [PMID: 36916482 PMCID: PMC10653150 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Loss-of-function mutations in the maternally imprinted genes, MKRN3 and DLK1, are associated with central precocious puberty (CPP). Mutations in MKRN3 are the most common known genetic etiology of CPP. OBJECTIVE This work aimed to screen patients with CPP for MKRN3 and DLK1 mutations and analyze the effects of identified mutations on protein function in vitro. METHODS Participants included 84 unrelated children with CPP (79 girls, 5 boys) and, when available, their first-degree relatives. Five academic medical institutions participated. Sanger sequencing of MKRN3 and DLK1 5' upstream flanking and coding regions was performed on DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Western blot analysis was performed to assess protein ubiquitination profiles. RESULTS Eight heterozygous MKRN3 mutations were identified in 9 unrelated girls with CPP. Five are novel missense mutations, 2 were previously identified in patients with CPP, and 1 is a frameshift variant not previously associated with CPP. No pathogenic variants were identified in DLK1. Girls with MKRN3 mutations had an earlier age of initial pubertal signs and higher basal serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone compared to girls with CPP without MRKN3 mutations. Western blot analysis revealed that compared to wild-type MKRN3, mutations within the RING finger domain reduced ubiquitination whereas the mutations outside this domain increased ubiquitination. CONCLUSION MKRN3 mutations were present in 10.7% of our CPP cohort, consistent with previous studies. The novel identified mutations in different domains of MKRN3 revealed different patterns of ubiquitination, suggesting distinct molecular mechanisms by which the loss of MRKN3 results in early pubertal onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Magnotto
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alessandra Mancini
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Keisha Bird
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville, FL 32207, USA
| | - Luciana Montenegro
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Filiz Tütüncüler
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne 22030, Turkey
| | - Sidney A Pereira
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vitoria Simas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Leonardo Garcia
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephanie A Roberts
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Delanie Macedo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Melissa Magnuson
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Priscila Gagliardi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville, FL 32207, USA
| | - Nelly Mauras
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville, FL 32207, USA
| | - Selma F Witchel
- Pediatric Endocrinology, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Rona S Carroll
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ana Claudia Latronico
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Hospital das Clínicas, Disciplina de Endocrinologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Ursula B Kaiser
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ana Paula Abreu
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Tajima T. Genetic causes of central precocious puberty. Clin Pediatr Endocrinol 2022; 31:101-109. [PMID: 35928377 PMCID: PMC9297165 DOI: 10.1297/cpe.2022-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Central precocious puberty (CPP) is a condition in which the
hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal system is activated earlier than the normal developmental
stage. The etiology includes organic lesions in the brain; however, in the case of
idiopathic diseases, environmental and/or genetic factors are involved in the development
of CPP. A genetic abnormality in KISS1R, that encodes the kisspeptin
receptor, was first reported in 2008 as a cause of idiopathic CPP. Furthermore, genetic
alterations in KISS1, MKRN3, DLK1, and
PROKR2 have been reported in idiopathic and/or familial CPP. Of these,
MKRN3 has the highest frequency of pathological variants associated
with CPP worldwide; but, abnormalities in MKRN3 are rare in patients in
East Asia, including Japan. MKRN3 and DLK1 are maternal
imprinting genes; thus, CPP develops when a pathological variant is inherited from the
father. The mechanism of CPP due to defects in MKRN3 and
DLK1 has not been completely clarified, but it is suggested that both
may negatively control the progression of puberty. CPP due to such a single gene
abnormality is extremely rare, but it is important to understand the mechanisms of puberty
and reproduction. A further development in the genetics of CPP is expected in the
future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Tajima
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University Tochigi Children’ Medical Center, Tochigi, Japan
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